Educational information, not legal or tax advice.
A merchant can accept bitcoin directly, with no card network taking a cut or freezing funds.
The options
- Self-hosted: BTCPay Server is free, open-source software. Payments go straight to your own wallet.
- Hosted processors: easier, but a company holds or converts the funds.
- Lightning: instant, low-fee payments via a lightning invoice for in-store use.
Problems and Bitcoin's answers
- Chargebacks: confirmed bitcoin payments are final. Refunds are your choice, not a bank's.
- Price swings: invoices lock a price for a few minutes; you can convert to local currency right away or keep bitcoin.
- Account freezes: with self-custody, no processor can block your income.
Practical points
Keep records of every payment in local currency at the time of sale. Rules on VAT and income tax still apply (see tax basics and Norwegian rules).